Rats and maggots are lurking among piles of rotting rubbish at two blocks of flats after residents after three weeks without a rubbish collection.

The bin rooms at the flats are full to the brim with rotting waste.

Elderly residents have complained about the rancid smell and health and safety hazards.

The delays have been blamed on “bedding-in issues” of new refuse collection rounds.

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Helen Wilson, of Dyke Road, said: “We’ve got 89 flats in our block and the refuse room is completely full, it’s dreadful “It’s stinking and an environmental health problem.

“It’s mostly elderly people over 60 here and we’re fed up to the back teeth.”

Irene Willis, also of Dyke Road, said: “We’re getting maggots and rats. It’s quite upsetting because we’re quite elderly and we’ve got ailments.

“It’s not very healthy at all.”

Owen Spence, chairman of the tenant’s association at Mayflower Square, New England Street, said: “I’ve been continually on the phone to the council for the last three weeks.

“The bins are nowoverflowing.

You can hardly open the door.

“My worry is for the elderly, blind and disabled people who live here. The last thing I want is for them to open the door and fall into all that rubbish.

“The smell is horrendous and it’s a serious health and safety hazard. We just want it sorted out.”

The GMB union has criticised new rounds as “chaotic” and “unworkable”.

A council spokesman said: “This is a major change to our refuse collection rounds which will mean residents ultimately will have a better, more efficient service with collections on bank holidays.

“We knowthere are likely to be some bedding-in issues and the City Clean team are very closely monitoring the service and will react swiftly to any problems.

“We are continuing to work with crews and review their performance and any problems they may be encountering.

“We need to allow for another scheduled collection of refuse and recycling to be sure residents understand collection days and we have ironed out operational problems for crews.

“After this we will start to tweak and modify the collections to make sure we have a balanced service.”